On the surface, Sunday’s Broncos-Patriots game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High is a meeting between a team that can’t hold a lead and a team that keeps erasing them.

The Broncos have made the second half of games, especially the fourth quarter, their private domain to first whittle away at deficits and then overcome them. Quarterbacks Tim Tebow of Denver and Eli Manning of the New York Giants are tied for the NFL lead with five fourth-quarter comebacks this season. Tebow has six fourth-quarter comebacks in his 11 career starts.

Meanwhile the Patriots, a team with defensive shortcomings, are 10-3 because they have scored at least 30 points 10 times. They have struggled to win in the second half of games, especially the fourth quarter. The Bills scored 24 points in the second half against New England in Week 3 and beat the Patriots 34-31. The Giants beat the Patriots 24-20 last month after scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter and 24 in the second half. And the winless Colts scored 21 points in the fourth quarter two weeks ago against the Patriots, who escaped with a 31-24 victory. Third-string quarterback Dan Orlovsky passed for 353 yards against New England’s defense.

Overall, the AFC East-leading Patriots have given up 108 points in the fourth quarter. That’s an average of 8.3 points per fourth quarter. Also, the Patriots have allowed 1,522 yards passing yards in the fourth quarter (36 percent of the total yards passing they have given up this season).

In the New England secondary, cornerback Devin McCourty has been a frequent target of quarterbacks — and he has none of the defense’s 18 interceptions.

If the AFC West-leading Broncos (8-5) can keep it close Sunday, New England’s previous 13 games show that they will have an opportunity to stretch their winning streak to seven games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyreek Hill didn’t know what to do when he started hearing thousands of people in Arrowhead Stadium chanting his name, even as he stood all alone on the frozen turf waiting for the punt.